Long time Bucket list place to visit and here I am at last. Writing from the Assisi train station. Had contemplated not writing anything. On many previous trips to Asia, Europe I didn't write anything about them. Part of my introvert ridiculousness I think. The thought process: why would anyone be interest in my ramblings? They're probably not, but here I am writing, and it is really more for me and my ageing memory... One day, if I manage to reach a great age and wish to reminisce, I'll have some help. And it's likely that the age of Instagram memories will have long faded, replaced by some other impermanent life-journaling mechanism. Ramblings in a station. Let's start:
Roma first, to stay with wonderful Susanna for a few days. Couch sleeping, but comfy and fun times in the Tiger Shop with Susanna and Mike playing with sunglasses and grunting plastic pigs!
Evening brings a radio interview at RAI, the national broadcaster, like SABC. Radio One with Massimo (I think?, everyone calls him Max). Somewhat different to the radio interviews I'm used to - in chat for 5 min, 10 min max, out. Here we were asked to be there for the full 2 hour show, while Max played music and chatted to his guests. Other guests were a pianist from Brazil, but living in Rome, and a producer of another Brazilian project.
Of course a lot of Italian, with Susanna doing her best to translate for us. A few questions for Mike and then me, and a song played for each, more Italian chats with the other guests and lots of varied music . Max loved my song, asked to keep the CD for play listing. Whoop whoop I'm play listed in Italy!
After a late dinner we were treated to 1am sight seeing and stopped to admire St Peters all lit up and resplendent without a tourist in sight - ciao Roma!
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| St Peter's at 1am |
Next day to Arcevia in Susanna's car, piled to the roof with suitcases, real books and jazz improv books, a motorbike helmet and half a fan. She likes to be prepared.
Winding through Italian countryside Umbria and then Marche, beautiful farmlands and hills and modern ugly buildings interlaced with some old ones. Up and up and more picturesque as we went.
Finally Arcevia, to the old part, a beautiful medieval town on the hill.
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| Room with a view... |
The old Park hotel was to be our home for the next 7 days; old hotel reminded me of some hotels in Zim, still preserved in 80s decor, complete with fading fabric flowers in a giant vase on the staircase landing. But clean and comfy and the view from my window... Never tired of staring at that every morning and evening.
What a surreal experience, to wander through the ancient cobbled streets and admire the old medieval buildings, looming 2 or 3 stories high.
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| Ancient streets of Arcevia |
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| Ancient entrance |
Next to meet the director and a few other teachers of the Arcevia Jazz Feast for a pleasant dinner in the dining hall. The week started in earnest the next day with meeting the students, hearing each of the singers, as every instrument's participants are graded and then put into ensembles of similar playing level for the week. I love that this is one of those jazz camps that has no age limit, so you have young folk (15 was the youngest) interacting and learning alongside older folk, for who, the week is a holiday treat, where they escape from other jobs and play jazz all day.
The workshops are held in the elementary school. Which has no air con. As I sat sweltering in one of the sun-beaten classrooms it became apparent to me: There is a reason they send the kids home for the summer... Brains turn to mush in the heat, it's a fact.
A brochure for a fan, and a daily sojourn to my room for a little nap plus air con blast after lunch became essential survival tools for the week, averaging daily maximums of 32 degrees C.
The week was packed with classes, ensemble sessions, rehearsals etc. which mostly I observed, all in Italian, so a little tedious not being able to participate more, but I did lead one session, on some improvisation things, which was fun. And I also presented a session on South African jazz vocalists. It was great to be able to expand my 10-min Helsinki conference blip of a presentation to a full 2 hour chat with lots of listening, videos and questions from the singers, all of whom had a good go trying their tongues at words with clicks in them!! Hopefully some SA Jazz Vocal artists will have a good few downloads of their albums on iTunes etc from Italy.
The Arcevia singers were joined by some other singers organised by Susanna to learn Nomfundo Xaluva's gorgeous piece, Bayathetha, and they did a stellar job learning the Xhosa and singing in beautiful harmony, ably led by Susanna.
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| Arcevia Jazz Feast Vocalists |
Susanna had organised for us to perform at the Jesi Jazz Festival, so a rehearsal with lovely Gui, and fab Italian musicians Gabriele on bass, Roberto on drums, Mike, Susanna and I.
We had also conscripted the irrepressible Ninon (whom I had met a couple of years prior, at a little gig in Paris, how small the world is) to join us on flute and bandoneon, simply because she's awesome, and regardless of the fact that she was in Arcevia on holiday visiting her partner Tiziano, who was running a Shiatsu group in tandem with the Jazz camp. A merry band indeed, it was a great gig, so wonderful to share music with great players, and the choir sounded fantastic.
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| Jesi Jazz Festival with Susanna Stivali. Photo by Binci Photography |
Other highlights of the week included four Shiatsu sessions with the lovely Abretta, and experiencing an Arcevia town festival: long tables were set up all the way down one of the streets and the local people were out in force eating and drinking. The best part were all the old fashioned games laid out for people to play.
Our UCT representative students seem to have had a marvelous time overall. What a great experience for all.
The week culminated in the
teachers concert on the Saturday evening, students on the Sunday. Loooooong concert - every ensemble played a few numbers. Was great to hear all the work people had done with their groups over the 6 days.
Big thanks to Samuele, director of the festival, who doesn't stop working, for having me at Arcevia Jazz Feast, and the wonderful Gorana, knower of things and speaker of English.
This is the website for the festival: http://www.arceviajazzfeast.it/ajf2/
A final ciao to everyone, left cheek kiss first then right and eventually we left with Susanna, car packed to bursting: me, SA students for a lift to the train, all the luggage, a million real books and the blessed fan.
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